The Society of Saint Gregory the Great is a membership association of Catholic laity formed in 2008 to promote divine worship in accordance with the Supreme Magisterium of the Church. The Society has its own schola cantorum, and regularly sponsors presentations and workshops on the Sacred Liturgy, Gregorian chant, and sacred polyphony.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Fr. Andersen: Will It Be Sports or God?

During these forty days of
Lent, we accompany Jesus to the Cross. Last week, we heard that Jesus fasted
for forty days and forty nights and was hungry. Then the devil tempted Him.
Where else do we find this number 40? We find it with Noah, who built an ark which
saved him and his family and the animals within while it rained for 40 days and
40 nights. Moses ascended the mountain, Mount Sinai, where he fasted for 40
days and 40 nights in prayer for the sins of his people, and preparing to
receive the Law from God. Then there is Elijah who journeyed “through the
wilderness. On his way, an angel gave him to eat: and ‘strengthened by that
food he went on for forty days and forty nights, when he reached God’s own
mountain, Horeb’” (Danielou, The Lord of
History, 260-261).

Elijah was then assumed
into heaven. He did not die. The scriptures tell us that a chariot of fire came
and swept him up into heaven. What about Moses? There is a rabbinic tradition
that Moses was also assumed into heaven. The book of Deuteronomy tells us that
his body was buried in the valley of the land of Moab but its tomb has not been
found (cf. Deut 34:6). The scriptures also tell us, in the epistle of St. Jude,
that Michael the Archangel disputed with the devil over the body of Moses; not
over his soul, but over his body. We do not know what the dispute was about.

“The common interpretation
is that St. Michael conveyed the body of Moses out of the way, and from the
knowledge of the Israelites, lest they should pay to it some idolatrous
worship; whereas the devil, for that end, would have it buried, so that the
people might know the place and adore it.” (Haydock, p. 1626, fn 9)

We see that temptation
fulfilled here with St. Peter wanting to build a shrine, a tabernacle, on that
spot for Moses and for Elijah. These two prophets were so highly revered by the
Jewish people because they experienced a privileged intimacy with God that
others were never given.

The Book of Deuteronomy
tells us that “there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses whom
the Lord knew face to face” (Deut 34:10). This is very important because God
also told Moses that no man can see the Face of God and live (cf. Exod 33:20).
But Moses looked upon the face of God. God spoke to him face to face. And now,
Moses and Elijah appear speaking to God face to face, on the Mountain; Our Lord
Jesus Christ is transfigured before them and they converse with Him. This scene
serves as a fulfillment to a promise from Deuteronomy when Moses told the
people: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among
you…him you shall hear” (Deut 18:15). God the Father tells us just that: “This
is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!” Let us listen to
Him through the teachings of the gospels. But let us not only listen to Him;
let us obey Him.

Our Lord has commanded that
we make holy the Lord’s day. The Lord’s day is Sunday. Every Sunday is the
Lord’s day. The whole day Sunday is the Lord’s day. You should not work unless
you have to. You should not go shopping on Sunday. You should not participate
in school activities or school sports on Sundays. Let me repeat that: You
should not participate in school activities or school sports on Sundays – any
Sundays – but especially on Palm Sunday. I bring this up because Gervais High
School is hosting the Oregon Latino Basketball Tournament which is scheduled
to take place on Palm Sunday and on Holy Saturday. This is not appropriate.

The Catholic Daughters were
offered an opportunity to do some fundraising at this event, selling hotdogs.
In considering the event, I became aware that it falls on a Friday of Lent,
continues on Palm Sunday, and finishes on Holy Saturday. Needless to say,
Catholics should not attend or support this event. Palm Sunday is not a time
for a Basketball Tournament, Latino or otherwise. Holy Saturday is not a time
for this type of activity either. Holy Saturday is a day for fasting and not
for eating hot dogs. Holy Saturday is a day for praying and preparing for
Easter the next day, not for playing basketball in a Youth Jam. Furthermore,
this event is going to be serving meat on the Friday of the event. Remember
that the Church asks you to abstain from eating meat on all Fridays through the
whole year and that it is a sin to eat meat on Fridays during Lent. If you eat
meat on Fridays during Lent, you must go to Confession before receiving Holy
Communion again.

Now, if you are engaging in
school sports on Sundays you need to make a choice. Will it be sports or God?
You have six days to play sports. You have six days to work and make money. God
only asks for one day. He not only asks but He has commanded it: Make Holy the
Lord’s Day. The principle here is that we do not do anything on Sunday that
would accomplish something. We sacrifice getting something done. We sacrifice
to God the yield of a day’s labor on Sundays. We sacrifice getting things done.
That includes doing homework, or doing anything to earn money. That includes
physical labor even if it is a personal project around the house or the yard.
Sunday is not a day to tear out a flowerbed in the back yard or to build a new
shed.

On the other hand, Sunday
is a day to enjoy your family. You can play a game of basketball with your
brothers or your uncles, but it should be for fun and not to advance your
team’s record. If it is a team that you play for, then you should not play on
Sunday because you are accomplishing something, and by doing so you are
working. Sunday is a day for rest, for leisure, for family, and most importantly
for God. I am asking you to stand up to the schools. They do not dictate how
you are live your faith. God dictates that. The schools schedule these events
because people go along with them. As Catholics, we need to speak up. Our
children will not be involved in such things on Sundays. Our children are not
available on Sundays for anything outside of God and the family. If people
would stand up to the public schools, things would change. Until very recently,
it was unheard of that any school would schedule anything on a Sunday. The same
went for Wednesday evenings. Wednesday evenings were reserved for church
activities and catechism. Now, the parish is told that the children are not
available on Wednesdays because they have sports. We are also told that the
children are not available for church on Sundays because they have sports.
Beloved in Christ, we have a choice to make. Sunday is the Lord’s Day. It
belongs to him. He has a right to command us to cease our work for one day a
week.

I realize that some of you
are cheering inside because what I say today helps you in your struggles with
your children. I received so many thank you’s from parents last night. But I
also realize that some of you are shaking your fists at me. I am making life
more difficult for you. But I am placing this choice before you because I
respect you enough to tell you the truth. I respect you enough to provide you
with the information you need to freely make a choice for or against God. And I
know that this is a difficult choice placed before some of you. The Latino
Basketball Tournament was the springboard for this sermon. But this applies to
everyone whether you are Latino or not. I don’t bring this up in order to make
your lives more difficult. I bring this up because I love you as your spiritual
father in Jesus Christ. I care about your soul. I care so much that I am
willing to stand up here and tell you this even when I know that some of you
will reject what I have to say. I know that some of you may even go to another
parish because the message there is easier.

Well, my dear ones in
Christ, the way is narrow that leads to eternal life. There is no such thing as
an easy Christian faith. If you want easy, go ahead. You can probably find a
priest somewhere who will tell you whatever it is you want to hear. If not, you
can make up your own religion and add to the 40,000+ splinters of the Christian
faith that are already out there. I may not always tell you what you want to
hear, but by now I think you know that I will speak the truth to you because I
respect you. The truth will set you free. Jesus Christ is the Truth and He has
said that the Truth will set you free. With freedom comes responsibility. We
are free when we obey God’s law.

And so I ask you this day
to commit to making Sundays a holy day every week. I also want to ask you to
boycott the Oregon Latino Basketball Tournament because the organizers have
scheduled this event during the most holy time of the year for Catholics.
Please do not participate in this event. I say this with love as your spiritual
father because you are so precious to God and His commandments are the
way to eternal life. Which way will you choose? Will it be sports or God?